Verbena plant named &#39;rap horose&#39;

ABSTRACT

A  verbena  cultivar particularly distinguished by its rose-colored flowers, upright habit and mildew tolerance is disclosed.

GENUS AND SPECIES

Verbena hybrida×Verbena tenuisecta

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘Rap Horose’

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of verbena, botanically known as Verbena hybrida×Verbena tenuisecta, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Rap Horose’. The new cultivar originated from a hybridization made in the year 2002 in Gilroy, Calif. The female parent was ‘Babylon Red’ (also known as ‘Amarena’) (patent status unknown) while the male parent was ‘1352-1’, a purple proprietary verbena line (unpatented).

The new cultivar was created in 2002 in Gilroy, Calif. and has been asexually reproduced repeatedly by vegetative cuttings and tissue culture in Gilroy, Calif. and Andijk, The Netherlands over a two-year period. The plant has also been trialed at Gilroy, Calif., Litchfield, Mich. and Andijk, The Netherlands. The present invention has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive asexual propagations.

DESCRIPTION OF PHOTOGRAPH

This new verbena plant is illustrated by the accompanying photograph which shows overall plant habit, flowers, and foliage of the plant; the colors shown are as true as can be reasonably obtained by conventional photographic procedures.

FIG. 1. The photograph shows overall plant habit, flowers, and foliage; the inset shows mature inflorescences.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW CULTIVAR

The following detailed descriptions set forth the distinctive characteristics of ‘Rap Horose’. The data which define these characteristics were collected from asexual reproductions carried out in Gilroy, Calif. The plant history was taken on 5-month-old plants grown in one-gallon pots in a poly-covered greenhouse in the fall/winter season. Color readings were taken in the greenhouse in the late winter season under natural light. Color references are primarily to the RHS Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London (RHS) (2001 edition). Texture description details were observed with a dissecting microscope.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

-   Classification:     -   -   Botanical.—Verbena hybrida×Verbena tenuisecta.         -   Common name.—Verbena. -   Growth:     -   -   Form.—Low trailing annual, decumbent.         -   Growth and branching habit.—Vigorous growing, moderate basal             branching, trailing habit.         -   Height.—5.0-7.0 cm as measured from the top of the soil             excluding flowers.         -   Width.—35.0-50.0 cm excluding flowers.         -   Time to produce a finished flowering plant.—8-10 weeks.         -   Outdoor plant performance.—Typical bedding plant culture;             full-sun in the garden, hanging baskets, or container             plants.         -   Time to initiate and develop roots.—4-10 days.         -   Root description.—Fibrous, fleshy, white. -   Leaves:     -   -   Immature leaf.—Color: Upper surface: RHS 137A Lower surface:             RHS 137C. Length: 3.0-3.5 cm Width: 1.7-2.0 cm. Mature leaf:             Color: Upper surface: Closest to RHS 137A Lower surface:             Closest to RHS 137C. Length: 4.0-4.3 cm Width: 2.3-2.6 cm             Shape: Ovate Margin: Pinnatisect; incised Apex: Acute Base:             Attenuate Texture: Hirsute Venation: Palmate Venation color:             RHS 144A.         -   Petioles.—Length: 1.3-1.5 cm Diameter: 0.2 cm Color: RHS             144A Texture: Hirsute. -   Stems:     -   -   Color.—RHS 143A.         -   Length.—15.0-25.0 cm.         -   Diameter.—0.2-0.3 cm.         -   Internode length.—1.0-2.0 cm.         -   Texture.—Hirsute.         -   Stem anthocyanin.—None. -   Flower buds:     -   -   Color when bud first showing color.—RHS 71 A.         -   Shape.—Linear.         -   Diameter.—0.2-0.25 cm.         -   Length.—1.0-1.2 cm. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Blooming habit.—Flowers continuously throughout the growing             season.         -   Lastingness of individual blooms.—Moderate.         -   Fragrance.—None.         -   Inflorescence type.—Terminal raceme.         -   Racemes.—Number per plant: 15-30 Diameter: 5.0-6.0 cm Depth:             3.0-4.0 cm.         -   Peduncle.—Color: RHS 143A Diameter: 0.2 cm Length: 3.0-3.5             cm Texture: Hirsute; glandular hairs with a dark purple hue. -   Flowers:     -   -   Floret form.—Salverform; sessile on raceme.         -   Number of florets per raceme.—30-40         -   Number of petals.—Gamopetalous, five lobed.         -   Immature flower.—Color: Upper side: RHS 60A, but with more             blue-red hues Underside: RHS N57C. Diameter: 1.3-1.5 cm.         -   Mature flower.—Color: Upper side: Closest to RHS N57B, but             deeper with more blue hue Underside: RHS N57C. Diameter:             1.8-2.0 cm Corolla: Color of throat hairs: RHS 51 C Tube             length: 2.0-2.4 cm.         -   Petals.—Size: Length of one lobe: 0.8-0.9 cm Width of one             lobe: 0.6-0.7 cm Lobe shape: Obcordate Apex: Retuse Base:             Fused Margin: Entire Texture: Papillose.         -   Sepals.—5 sepals, margins are fused to each other along             their length, with a transparent membrane of less than 0.1             cm in width, with one smaller sepal (0.8 cm) attached to the             base of the calyx.         -   Calyx.—Color: RHS 144A but a little darker Length: 2.0-2.1             cm Width: 0.1-0.2 cm Shape: Linear Apex: Acute Texture:             Hirsute; glandular hairs with a purple hue. -   Reproductive organs:     -   -   Stamens.—Anthers and filaments fused to upper half of             corolla tube; four anthers with two pollen sacs per anther.         -   Pollen.—Amount: Moderate Color: RHS 11D.         -   Pistil.—1.         -   Pistil length.—0.15 cm.         -   Fruit/seed set.—Does not freely set seed, but can produce 4             narrow nutlets, approximately 0.4 cm long and enclosed in             the dried calyx -   Disease and insect resistance: Mildew tolerance.

COMPARISON WITH KNOWN CULTIVARS

‘Rap Horose’ differs from the female parent ‘Babylon Red’ (patent status unknown) by having smaller flowers and a more upright, less spreading habit than ‘Babylon Red’. ‘Rap Horose’ differs from the male parent ‘1352-1’ (unpatented) by having a rose-colored flower rather than a purple-colored flower. In addition, ‘Rap Horose’ has a more upright, vigorous habit than ‘1352-1’.

‘Rap Horose’ differs from the commercial variety ‘Babylon Pink’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,242) by having a rose-colored flower rather than a pink-colored flower. In addition ‘Rap Horose’ has a flatter, fuller habit, shorter internodes and a less incised leaf than ‘Babylon Pink’. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of verbena plant as shown and described herein. 